By way of background, it is well known that hockey is an extraordinarily popular winter sport in many of the northern climes of the world and otherwise. Adults and children of all ages commonly spend many of their free waking hours playing hockey during the winter months, whether in an attempt to better hone their skills or merely for love of the game. In fact, the game is so popular that many ponds, roadways and streets—in rural, suburban and urban centers alike—may frequently play winter host to impromptu hockey games among the residents. Given the popularity of hockey, many have attempted to design a readily collapsible hockey goal that both is portable and takes up a small storage envelope when not in use.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,150 (Frischman) teaches a series of separable tubular sections assembled to form a hockey goal. These tubular sections may telescopically connect when assembled. As with the aforementioned patent to Frischman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,715 (Browning et al.) discloses a collapsible goal which requires some preliminary disassembly, such as the removal of diagonal braces or wing nuts, prior to collapsing same into a storage configuration. In another example from the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,957 (Schmidt) discloses a collapsible goal having an articulated frame which, although it does not require any preliminary disassembly, collapses in three dimensions and is extremely complicated to shift between the collapsed and erect configurations. In a last example from the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,463 (Stockwell, III) discloses a soccer goal assembly which is more easily collapsible, but which is not portable due to anchor members which are required to be embedded in an associated playing surface. Moreover, the mere side folding and bracing means of the goal assembly disclosed in the patent to Stockwell, III are not particularly rugged and would make it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the goal in an erect configuration were it not for the embedding of its anchor members in the playing surface.
What is needed, therefore, is a readily collapsible and rugged hockey goal that is suitable to withstand the rigors of a spirited game of hockey and is yet easily portable, without requiring any preliminary disassembly before collapsing same into a storage configuration that takes up a small storage envelope and may be hung substantially flat against a wall when not in use. Preferably, the design concept behind such a hockey goal would also make it capable of use in other sports contexts, and would allow a child of young age to assemble or dissemble same without requiring any hand tools, parental supervision or assistance.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a readily collapsible sports goal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible sports goal which might be used as a hockey goal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible hockey goal that is capable of withstanding the rigors of a spirited game of hockey.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible sports goal that is easily portable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible sports goal that does not require any preliminary disassembly before collapsing same into a storage configuration.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a readily collapsible sports goal that occupies a small storage envelope and may be hung substantially flat against a wall when not in use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible sports goal that allows a child of young age to assemble or dissemble same without requiring any hand tools, parental supervision or assistance.
It is a still yet further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible sports goal that has an improved net attaching means.